Self-actualisation and its place in the building of a better world

[martinprogrammer]

Today I'm offering a simple and naive summary of some complex topics around the concept of self-actualisation. I'll be introducing a few questions that might provoke a discussion about the implications that self-actualisation might have on DDSs and the theory of psychological/consciousness development of individuals and societies.

Maslow's Self-actualisation

Maslow's concept of self-actualisation is defined as an individual's striving for the realisation of their full potential. It sits at the top of his hierarchy of needs and only takes place once all the needs belonging to lower segments of the pyramid have been met. It's a drive for more and more what one is - to become everything that one can possible be.

At each level of Maslow's pyramid of needs there are different main motivators but eventually it is the self-actualisation that becomes the primary one.

While Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs mainly addresses stages of growth in individuals it's not difficult to envisage that the self-actualised individuals would have a key role in the societal developmental transformation.

In the long list of characteristics of the self-actualised Maslow includes cognitive and ethical traits.

• superior sense-making

• more comfortable relationship with reality

• heightened sense of awareness

• tolerance of doubts and uncertainty

• positive engagement with paradoxes.

• high levels of ethical development

• deep feeling of empathy, sympathy and compassion for human beings

Self-realisation as a morally positive development

Maslow generally frames self-actualisation in positive light, leading to the realisation of one's potential and the development of personal virtues such as creativity, authenticity and a sense of purpose. It is seen as the peak of "psychological health" and human flourishing.

The notion of self-actualisation is not confined to Maslow's theory. Aristotle's concept of "eudaimonia" described the state of happiness reached through the realisation of one's virtues and the fulfilment of one's potential, leading to a life of excellence.

Carl Jung's process of "individuation" - a journey towards becoming a fully integrated and whole individual. It's aimed at integrating the conscious and unconscious part of the psyche and didn't envisage a specific moral direction.

Self-realisation as a value neutral development

Existentialist philosophers took a less prescriptive view on what constitutes a virtuous or fulfilled life and focused more on the individual's subjective experience and personal choice.

The following thinkers seem to have made a distinction between "absolute potentials" and morality.

Jean-Paul Sartre thought that the motivation for self-actualisation comes from the realisation of the radical freedom and a desire to live a life that is true to one's own chosen values and identity.

Heidegger, explains how humans come into being passively, embrace freedom to make choices and break out of the limitations (ontological and Cartesian) of their existence to tackle situations into which they are thrown by life. Individuals should navigate its existence in such way that they fully live up to their own potentiality for being.

His "Being-towards-possibility" didn't explicitly frame this realisation in moral terms.

Nietzsche makes a daring move in arguing against "traditional morality" in favour of creation of new values in the context of self-realisation.

With this in mind, it might be valid to consider if self-realisation can also progress an individual in ethically and morally negative direction.

Maslow doesn't seem to be addressing this eventuality, but assumes that the process includes moral and ethical dimensions and the progress moving towards altruism and more care for the others.

It could be argued that the process of self-actualisation can theoretically be value-neutral, allowing individuals to achieve personal potential in ways that are not socially constructive or morally positive. That seems to be something that existentialist philosophers might consider valid, sometimes by omitting moral and ethical considerations and sometimes by explicitly stating that only authentically forged values and morals are valid.

In that case it would be interesting to evaluate how the psychological health, as Maslow defined it, relates to certain personal goals or talents and their integration with ethics. Self-actualised individuals tend to have a finely developed sense of responsibility and desire to positively impact others.

Later in his life, Maslow introduced the concept of self-transcendence as a level beyond self-actualisation which might have been an attempt to allow for divergence between sheer personal potential and higher goals such as altruism and dedication to causes greater than oneself.

Ego and its role in the formation of values and morals

Maslow didn't seems to think that self-actualised people are special in an elitist sense, but somehow manage to navigate their personal growth in such a way that they can reach their fullest potentials.

The question still remains - what is it that allows some to fare better than the others in realising their absolute potentials?

Is there a potential for actualisation?

The challenge in defining the origin of the potential for actualisation more precisely than "individual's intrinsic potential" lies in the complexity and individuality of human beings and beyond.

Robert Dilts, in his Neurological Levels, builds another pyramid of personal development.

While Maslow's pyramid focuses on the needs - Dilts' model plots different levels of human experience that influence behaviour and how changes at different levels can lead to personal transformation.

Analogy to self-actualisation seems to be taking place in the Identity level and the Purpose level hints at transcendence.

What's interesting in Dilts' theory is the Identity level that talks about the ego that affirms itself. With a hefty dose of abstraction (and interpretation) we could propose that it's the ego that becomes aware (or realises) its true "strength" and that might be this self-generating potential.

This potential strength of the ego does not seem to be a specific capacity but rather a belief in the righteousness of its disposition and its ability to implement its destinial role of self-actualisation.

As a result of its strengths - the ego has an ability to change the individual's values and morals to both maximise its power and to fulfil its destinial role - similar to Nietzsche's Ubermensch concept.

Follow up questions:

Do the self-actualised individuals have a more formative role in shaping societies or the other way round?

How does the potential divergence between self-actualisation as an authentic process and the more collective-purpose defined ethical development relate to societes?

Are self-realis(ed, ing) people "special" and do they deserve DDSs specifically designed to facilitiate the self-actualisation process?

How do we gain sufficient self-awareness to be able to evaluate our own progress of self-actualisation?